"Mixed Churchill and Sherman squadrons" Topic

Hi all. First Post here. I just have a question if I may please. I'm looking to game Tunisia and early Italy campaigns. I have read somewhere that some British tank squadrons had mixed troops of Churchills and Shermans. Is this the case please? And if so would a squadron have say 3 troops of Churchills (3 tanks per troop) and two of Shermans (would the sherman troops be 3 or 4 tanks?). If I have this correct what would the HQ troop comprise of? Thanks for any help.

Hi all. First Post here. I just have a question if I may please. I'm looking to game Tunisia and early Italy campaigns. I have read somewhere that some British tank squadrons had mixed troops of Churchills and Shermans. Is this the case please? And if so would a squadron have say 3 troops of Churchills (3 tanks per troop) and two of Shermans (would the sherman troops be 3 or 4 tanks?). If I have this correct what would the HQ troop comprise of? Thanks for any help.

Hi all. First Post here. I just have a question if I may please. I'm looking to game Tunisia and early Italy campaigns. I have read somewhere that some British tank squadrons had mixed troops of Churchills and Shermans. Is this the case please? And if so would a squadron have say 3 troops of Churchills (3 tanks per troop) and two of Shermans (would the sherman troops be 3 or 4 tanks?). If I have this correct what would the HQ troop comprise of? Thanks for any help.

Now you've mentioned it I also have a dim recollection of this happening. Without looking at some books I suspect it would be Churchill units which got some Shermans added to provide HE capability (in NWE they often had troops of Tank Destroyers attached instead). Once the 75mm Churchill was more common, the need for Shermans would diminish.

Sherman troops were generally three tanks, the four tank iteration was a NWE oddity to cope with a shortage of Fireflies. If they were assigned to Churchill squadrons, the then HQ tanks would be Churchills.

I'd be amazed if Churchills were ever attached to cruiser regiments.

Anyway, that is a bit of a guess.

I seem to recall this was an expedient in the Mediterranean theatre.

Long long ago there was a wargame report in a magazine that featured an infantry battalion in Italy supported by a mixed squadron of Churchills and Shermans.[Battlegames?]

It may also have come up in Donald Featherstone's Tank Battles in Miniature Med volume, which I no longer have.

So yes it was a real thing.

I've got a note "Army Tank Regiment, Italy 1944 – three squadrons, each with HQ Troop of three Churchills, possibly including two with 95mm howitzers, two three tank Churchill troops and two three tank Sherman troops. Two or three M10 troops were sometimes placed under the command of a squadron."

Sadly I can't provide the source.

The mixed troops were not used during the North African campaign.

The churchill brigades went to Italy in late winter to spring of 1944. All troops were of four tanks. The mixed vehicles were usually two troops of Churchills and two troops of Shermans. The HQ could have used either, but most likely Shermans.

How were they used. The crews decided that the churchills were better for the assault role with their thicker armour and the Shermans were better used for overwatch and covering fire role due to better gun handling controls. So, the Sherman troops would take up covering positions while the churchills were used for the assault alongside the troops.

It was rather a temporary thing due to a short period of time with few Churchill tanks being sent to the Italian campaign to replace losses.

How were they used. The crews decided that the churchills were better for the assault role with their thicker armour and the Shermans were better used for overwatch and covering fire role due to better gun handling controls. So, the Sherman troops would take up covering positions while the churchills were used for the assault alongside the troops.

Also, if I recall, this expedient organization was driven by the Churchills mounting 6pdr guns. To that time there was still no HE for the 6pdr provided to the tankers. So the Churchills were better for assault, but could only rely upon their MGs to suppress the defenses (or taking on AT guns and bunkers with solid shot -- not exactly ideal). The Shermans not only had better "gun handling", but also had a downright useful HE round.

As Churchills with 75mm guns became more common, this expedient organization was less important. Although it may have remained even with Churchills in some cases mainly because Shermans were far more abundant and doubling the number of Churchills in a unit may have been authorized, but that doesn't mean the tanks were immediately available.

Or so I recall from readings. But not an area of particular study, so I will defer to others who have good information indicating otherwise.

-Mark
(aka: Mk 1)